Textile machine data communicating apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

Data originating from a traveling unit moving along a textile machine having spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed is substantially continuously transmitted and processed. This is accomplished by the encoding of binary word signals, transmittal of such signals from the traveling unit, reception of such signals remotely from the traveling unit and processing of the received signals to decipher therefrom the states of certain sensed operations such as the formation of ends of yarn at the spindle locations.

United States Patent Saunders 4 1 Aug. 1, 1972 [54] TEXTILE MACHINE DATA 3,044,699 7/1962 Smith ..235/92 R COMMUNICATING APPARATUS AND 3,486,319 12/1969 Lee, Jr. et a1. ..57/34 R METHOD 3,523,413 8/1970 Ford et a1 ..57/34 R 3,595,004 7/1971 Saunders ..57/81 [721 Invenm" in? Saunders Fltchburg, 3,595,005 7/1971 Saunders ..57/81 [73] Assignee: Parks-Cramer Company, Charlotte, Primary Examiner-"John Petrakes Att0rney-Parrott, Bell, Seltzer, Park & Gibson [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1970 57 ABSTRACT p 62,363 Data originating from a traveling unit moving along a I textile machine having spindle locations at which ends 52 U.S. Cl. ..57/34 R 57/81 235/92 R of Y normally are formed is Substantially Continu- 51 int. Cl. ..DOlh 13/26 1501b 13/32 us1ytransmitted and Pmcessed- This is acwmplished [58] Field of seallch 57/1 R 34 81 80 by the encoding of binary word signals, transmittal of 3 5 such signals from the traveling unit, reception of such signals remotely from the traveling unit and processing of the received signals to decipher therefrom the [56] References Cited states of certain sensed operations such as the forma- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of ends of yarn at the spindle locations.

2,790,602 4/1957 Jeppson ..235/92 R 24 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures EOY OPERATlON W0 Rb ID TEANSMWTER ENCObEQ OPERATlON I Res omswe -J/ I MEANs 25 4 L,

RECEVEE CONVERTOR PATENTEmus 11972 3.680.298

' sum 1 BF 3 v \x orab CONVERTOR W025 b T h EANSMH'TER Ewcobesa O 3 i 5 N r INVENTOR: N 6& DAVID W. SAUNDERS.

-waszQ/gx fg/M ATTORNEYS PA'TE'NTEDws" 1 I972 3.680.298

SHEET 3 0F 3 (c M m L I I I KN) *1 7 \00A i L \5 I4 EA 4 INVEN TOR:

DAVlD SAUNDERS TEXTILE MACHINE DATA COMMUNICATING APPARATUS AND METHOD This invention is related to inventions owned in common with the present invention and disclosed in patents and co-pending applications entitled Apparatus and Method for Detecting and Reporting Ends Down on Textile Machines, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,413 issued Aug. 11, 1970; Apparatus and Method for Detecting, Piecing-Up and Reporting Ends Down on Spinning Machines, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,319 issued Dec. 30, 1969; Monitoring Device for Spinning Frame, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,426 issued Mar. 4, 1969; and Electric Circuit Means for Textile Strand Ends Down Detecting Apparatus filed Oct. 14, 1969 under Ser. No. 866,265, now abandoned.

The aforementioned related inventions propose that the efficiency of operation in certain textile strand producing operations be improved by providing apparatus for detecting the ends down condition of textile yarn or thread forming apparatus such as spinning and twisting machines. As therein disclosed, apparatus is provided within a textile mill room, such as a spinning room, for moving detector means relative to the textile apparatus along a predetermined path and for reporting the response of the detector means.

It has been recognized that such traversal of detector means past spindle locations along textile yarn forming machines presents an opportunity for the accumulation and processing of data concerning the operation of the traveling detector unit and the textile yarn fonning machines traversed thereby. Further, the fact that computers and other like centralized facilities for processing such data have capacities which far exceed the origination of data from a single traveling unit is generally known to persons familiar with such facilities. As has now been discovered, the most efficient and economically favorable utilization of such a facility for processing such data is realized where data from at least one traveling unit is being received at the processing facility on a substantially continuous basis. Accomplishment of such a desired efficient data processing operation has now been recognized as bringing about the spreading of the capital cost of the processing facility over a greater number of spindle locations, thereby tending to lower the cost per spindle providing a data processing capability.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to accomplish the substantially continuous transmittal and processing of data originating from a traveling unit having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn and which moves past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn forming machines. In accomplishing this object of the present invention, electronic means are provided for converting such data into a bit stream of word signals encoded in correlation to the states of the operations sensed by the traveling unit and transmitted on a substantially continuous, instantaneous basis. By such encoding and transmittal of binary word signals, data originating from the traveling unit may be presented substantially immediately to a central processing facility, permitting the central facility to process received data on a substantially continuous basis and thereby efficiently accumulate such data and calculate statistical analyses of the operations reported.

A further object of the present invention is to obtain data concerning certain operations of textile yarn forming machines and the traveling detector unit moving past the spindle locations therealong by a method in which the states of certain operations are sensed while word signals correlated to the sensed states are encoded and transmitted. In accordance with the present invention, such transmitted word signals are received and processed to decipher therefrom the correlative states of the sensed operations. In such encoding, transmitting and processing, a plurality of data bit signals correlated to a corresponding plurality of operations are generated and are encoded by being arranged serially into a single, multiple bit, word. Following transmission, a received binary word signal of this type may be converted into a plurality of data bit signals arranged in parallel, for subsequent further processing by a central facility such as a computer.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of a traveling unit and textile yarn forming machine such as are employed in one form of the combination of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic electrical diagram of means moving with the traveling unit of FIG. 2 and responsive to certain operations of the textile yarn forming machine and the traveling unit;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram similar to FIG. 3 of a second operation responsive means moving with the traveling unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an encoder means incorporated in one form of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevation view, partly in section and partly schematic, of transmitter means moving with the traveling unit of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram similar to FIG. 5 of receiver and signal processing means included in the illustrated combination of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the present invention will be disclosed in the context of the combination, with a traveling unit moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations, of means for substantially continuously transmitting and processing data originating from the traveling unit. In the form illustrated and as preferred in certain applications of the present invention, the traveling unit and one operation responsive means carried thereby are respectively a traveling cleaner l0 and a photomultiplier mounted within a sensor head 11 depending from the traveling pneumatic cleaner 10. Such a combination of a traveling cleaner carrying a sensor head is disclosed in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,413 and such detail regarding a traveling cleaner and a sensor head carried thereby as are required for understanding the present invention are incorporated hereinto by reference thereto. As is noted therein, the traveling cleaner 10 preferably is substantially similar to the fourth embodiment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,571 owned in common with the present invention. It is, however, to be noted that the present invention contemplates that the traveling unit from which data is transmitted need not necessarily be a traveling cleaner, but may be any traveling unit which includes means responsive to certain operations, such as an automatic yarn piecing apparatus or the like.

Broadly, the present invention is directed to the combination, with a traveling unit and operation responsive means carried thereby, of means for communicating and processing a bit stream of data concerning the operations monitored by the operation responsive means. Such combination comprises, in accordance with the present invention, means moving with the traveling unit and operatively connected with the operation responsive means for encoding therefrom binary word signals correlated to sensed states of the monitored operations and for transmitting encoded binary word signals. Further, the combination comprises means operatively communicating with the encoding and transmitting means for receiving transmitted binary word signals and for processing received signals to decipher therefrom the corresponding states of the monitored operations. From the block diagram of FIG. 1, elements mounted on the traveling cleaner for movement therewith include operation responsive means 20, 21, a word encoder 22 operatively connected with the operation responsive means 20, 21 and a transmitter 24 for transmitting signals encoded by the word encoder 22. Each of these elements and their operation will be disclosed more fully hereinafter. Word signals emitted by the transmitter 24 are received by a receiver 25 and are processed by a word converter 26, as disclosed more fully hereinafter.

While the present invention contemplates the operation responsive means 20, 21 may monitor and be responsive to a variety of the operations performed by a traveling unit, such as the traveling cleaner 10, or by an associated textile yarn forming machine such as the spinning frame 12, two illustrative forms of operation responsive means are herein disclosed (FIGS. 3 and 4) by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Consistent with the method and apparatus disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,413, the operation responsive means 20 (FIG. 3) monitors the formation of ends of yarn at spindle locations along the textile yarn forming machine 12, whilethe operation responsive means 21 (FIG. 4) signals the beginning of movement of the traveling cleaner 10 along the spinning frame 12, and thereby indicates that monitoring of ends of yarn being formed along that particular frame is about to begin. To these ends, the operation responsive means 20, 21 include electrical circuit elements as will now be described.

As mentioned hereinabove, a photomultiplier tube 30 is mounted within a sensor head 11 depending from the traveling cleaner 10 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The photomultiplier tube 30 is coupled, through a capacitor C1 and a setpoint potentiometer P1, to an amplifier 31. Through means of the amplifier and a pair of pulseshaping transistors TRl and TR2, pulse signals appear on a conductor 32 and the photomultiplier tube 30 is moved past a spindle location at which an end of yarn is present. The appearance of a pulse signal on the conductor 32 resets a distance counter 34, functioning in the operation responsive means 20 as a portion of a logic circuit, as will now be described.

The distance counter 34 receives and counts pulses originating from a traveling unit pulse generator 35, preferably a rotation signaling device. By interconnection of the device to an idler wheel 36 of the traveling pneumatic cleaner 10, through means of an idler wheel shaft 38, movement of the idler wheel 36 along the track 14 by which the traveling cleaner 10 is supported results in generation of pulses by the signaling device which indicates the rotational movement of the shaft 38.- By selection of the pulse train passed from the device to the linear distance counter 34, pulses received at the linear distance counter 34 are correlated in a predetermined manner to the rotation of the idler wheel 36 and are thereby correlated to movement of the traveling cleaner 10 along the track 14. The traveling unit pulse generator 35 thus functions as a movement signaling means.

With such correlation of pulse transmittal from the traveling unit pulse generator 35 to the linear distance counter 34, a predetermined relationship is established with regard to the distance between adjacent spindle locations along the spinning frame 12 at which ends of yarn normally are formed. Thus, where spindle locations are on a three inch gauge, for example, 300 pulses may be delivered to the linear distance counter 34 from the traveling unit pulse generator 35 during movement of the photomultiplier tube 30 from a position where a first spindle location is monitored to a position where a second, adjacent, spindle location is monitored. During such movement, the linear distance counter 34 counts the 300 pulses received from the movement signal generator 35 and, upon a pulse being passed through the conductor 32, is reset to zero and begins a next count.

In the event that the linear distance counter 34 is not reset to zero by the appearance of pulse on the conductor 32, as when the photomultiplier 30 moves past the spindle location at which an end is down, the distance counter 34 continues to count pulses originating from the traveling unit pulse generator 35. Thereafter, when the count reaches a predetermined number greater than that correlated to the gauge distance of the spindle locations, such as 310, a pulse signal is passed from the distance counter 34 through a first exit gate 39. A pulse passing through the first exit gate 39 appears on a conductor 40, to accomplish two purposes. The first is passage of an output pulse through an ends down signal or gate 41, to appear on a conductor 42. The appearance of a pulse on the conductor 42 resets the distance counter 34 and additionally is forwarded for encoding of a word as disclosed more fully hereinafter. The pulse appearing on the conductor 40, through the first exit gate 39, additionally sets a flipflop formed ky a pair of interconnected gates 44, 45, to present a continuing signal at an andgate 46.

In the event that an end is down at two adjacent spindle locations, the distance counter 34 would again fail to be reset by the appearance of a pulse on a conductor 32 from the photomultiplier tube 30. Thereafter, as the count in the distance counter 34 reached the number of pulses correlated to the gauge distance of the spinning frame 12 (or 300 in the present example), a second exit gate 48 passes a pulse from a distance counter 34 to the and gate 46. Upon appearance at the and gate 46 of a continuing signal from the flipflop formed by the gates 44 and 45 and a pulse signal passed through the second exit gate 48, a pulse is passed through the or gate 41 to appear on the output conductor 42. Thus, no cumulative error is introduced in continuing recognition of successive spindle locations at which ends are down.

It is further to be noted that pulses appearing on either of the conductors 32 and 42, indicative of ends up or ends down, are applied to an R/S flipflop 49, to present at a conductor 50 a predetermined pulse signal at each occurrence of a pulse on either of the conductors 32, 42. As will be disclosed more fully hereinafter, such a pulse is used in connection with the word encoder 22 in generating binary word signals correlated to the states of monitored operations.

A second operation responsive means may take the form schematically diagrammed in FIG. 4, wherein a retro-reflective surface 51 is positioned adjacent an end of the spinning frame 12. A lamp 52, front reflective member 54 and a photoresistor 55 are arranged for a fluctuation in the resistance of the photoresistor 55 as co-directional fields of illumination by the lamp and view by the photoresistor are directed at the retroreflective spot 51. Such a fluctuation in the value of the photoresistor 55, when applied through pulse shaping resistors TR3 and TR4, produces an output pulse at a conductor 56 indicating that traversal of the spinning frame 12 is beginning. Thus, the operation responsive means of FIG. 4 functions as means for indicating that movement of the traveling unit onto the frame has begun.

While two specific examples of operation responsive means have been given here for aid in clarity of this disclosure, it is to be understood that this invention contemplates that a broad range of operations may be sensed and monitored. Consistent with this intent, the particular operation responsive means applied in the combination of this invention may take any form required or found satisfactory.

In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of data bit signals such as appear as pulses on the conductors 42 and 56, pursuant to the operation of the circuitry as described above, are received by the word encoder 22 and are serially arranged into a single, multiple bit word. Means for receiving and so arranging such a plurality of data bit signals, correlated to a corresponding plurality of monitored operations, are as schematically represented in FIG. 5. -As there disclosed, a plurality of flipflops 60, 61, 62 and 63 are arranged in parallel for receiving a corresponding plurality of data bit signals and function as portions of signal passing means. By way of example, a first flipflop 60 may be connected with the conductor 42 of the opera tion responsive means illustrated in FIG. 3, for receiving a data bit signal indicative of an end down at a spindle location. Similarly, a second flipflop 61 may be operatively connected with the conductor 56 of the operation responsive means illustrated in FIG. 4, for receiving a data bit signal correlated to movement of the traveling pneumatic cleaner onto the spinning frame 12. The third and fourth flipflops 62, 63 may be operatively connected with other operation responsive means (not shown). As can be understood, the plurality of parallelly arranged signal passing means provided by the flipflops 60, 61, 62 and 63 receive data bit signals in parallel and, for'the encoding of multiple bit binary word signals therefrom, the encoder 22 desirably comprises means for serially shifting data bit signals therefrom and for thereby serially arranging the corresponding plurality of bits into a single word. Preferably, the flipflops 60, 61, 62 and 63 are of the type known as R/S flipflops.

In the form illustrated, such a signal shifting means comprises an arrangement of J-K flipflops 70, 71, 72 and 73, operatively connected to corresponding R/S flipflops 60, 61, 62, 63 for transfer of data bit signals thereto. It is to be understood that passage of a data bit signal from an R/S flipflop to the corresponding J-K flipflop, such as from the flipflop 60 to the flipflop 70, results in the passed data bit signal being retained in the 1-K flipflop until such time as a clock pulse is applied to the J-K flipflop. Advantage is taken of this maintenance of a desired data bit signal in the J-K flipflop to permit not only serial shifting of data bit signals therefrom in rotation but also repetition of transmission of a single word thusly encoded.

Data bits present in the J-K flipflops 70, 71, 72 and 73 are serially gated therefrom through a plurality of and gates 80, 81, 82 and 83, receiving signals from a serial arrangement counter 90 and operating in conjunction with three or gates 85, 86 and 87 in the formation of a serially arranged, multiple bit, binary word. The counter 90 is supplied with pulses at a predetermined frequency from an oscillator 91 and counts such pulses by decades. Upon individual counts of zero through nine appearing in the counter 90, corresponding ones of the gates 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86 receive pulse signals from the counter 90 and function accordingly. That is, upon a count of eight, a pulse is passed from the counter 90 to the and" gate 80 which is operatively connected with the first J-K flipflop 70. Upon the appearance at the and gate 80 of a data bit signal from the J-K flipflop and a pulse signal from the counter 90, the data bit signal is passed through the and gate to an amplifier 92 and appears as an output on an output conductor 94 operatively connected with the transmitter 24 as disclosed more fully hereinafter. On other counts, such as upon a count of nine in the counter 90, a timing or data separation pulse signal is passed to one of the or gates, such as or gate 86, to be passed through the or gate 87 and an amplifier 9S and to appear on an output conductor 96 which is also connected with the transmitter 24 as disclosed more fully hereinafter.

During each cycle of counts in the counter 90, 10 data bit signals appear at either the, output conductor 94 or the output conductor 96, for passage to the transmitter 24. Of the 10 bit signals which thus appear serially at these two output conductors, four are signals which have passed through the R/S flipflops 60, 61, 62, 63 and thereby reflect the operational states being monitored by the operation responsive means connected thereto. The remaining six bits of the multiple bit word are included primarily to provide a means for checking the accuracy of transmission and reception between the transmitter 24 and receiver 25 and as a means for future expansion of the data bits transmitted if such expansion is desired. As will be understood, during each decade count by the counter 90, a 10 bit word is originated and passed to the transmitter 24.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for repeating transmission of an encoded word a predetermined number of times, as an additional aid to accurate transmission and reception of the word. In the form illustrated, this means includes a transmission counter 97 operatively connected with the serial arrangement counter 90 and with a clock shift gate 98. The clock shift gate 98 is a multiple input and gate which governs the transfer of data bit signals from the R/S flipflops 60, 61, 62, 63 to the J-K flipflops 70, 71, 72 and 73 and which is responsive to signals indicating readiness for the transmission of a subsequent multiple bit word. More particularly, four of the inputs to the clock shift gate 98 receive inputs indicating readiness of the various operation responsive means to signal the state of a monitored operation. An additional input of the clock shift gate 98 receives a pulse signal from the transmission counter 97 which indicates that the previously transmitted word has been repeated a predetermined number of times, such as four. Upon the appearance at the inputs of the clock shift gate 98 of signals indicating that all of the operation responsive means have sensed and reported that states of the monitored operations and that transmission of the preceding word has been repeated four times, a clock pulse is delivered to the J-K flipflops 70, 71, 72 and 73 transferring thereinto the data bit signals appearing on the R/S flipflops. The same signal emitted from the clock shift gate 98, when passed through appropriate delay line means, is applied to the R/S flipflops 60, 61, 62, 63 to reset those flipflops in anticipation of the next subsequent monitoring of operations by the operation responsive means connected thereto.

In order to transmit from the traveling pneumatic cleaner 10 a multiple bit word as encoded by the word encoder 22, a transmitter 24 is mounted on the traveling pneumatic cleaner 10 and operatively connected with the output conductors 94, 96 of the word encoder 22. Preferably, the transmitter 24 is a frequency modulated transmitter of a type which is known to persons skilled in the art of transmitting signals over power conductors and, accordingly, will not be disclosed in great detail here. For purposes of reference, one such transmitter is the style FSC-3 100 transmitter available from the Marshall Electronics Division, Marshall Elevator Company, 2015 Mary Street, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania 15203. Typically, such a transmitter comprises means for generating a suppressed radio frequency carrier and means for generating upper and lower side band frequencies shifted up and down from the suppressed carrier frequency by predetermined frequency increments.

In the present invention, signals appearing on one of the two conductors 94, 96 of the word encoder 22 are used in frequency shift keying the transmitter to the upper side band frequency, while signals appearing on the other conductor are used in frequency shift keying the transmitter to the lower side band frequency. Thus, the serially arranged, multiple bit word is transmitted from the transmitter means 24 as a predetermined pattern of shifts to and from the upper and lower side band frequencies and appears as a portion of a continuing bit stream of such frequency shifts. The sequence of shifting toward one side band frequency, such as the upper side band frequency, is in a predetermined cycle established by the bit signals passed from the counter through the or gates85, 86, 87, while the shifts, if any, toward other-side band frequency are representative of data bit signals passing through the transmitting and gates 80, 81, 82 and 83.

Preferably, the upper and lower side band signals originated from the transmitter 24 in response to encoding of binary word signals by the word encoder 22 are transmitted from the traveling pneumatic cleaner 10 by being coupled to trolley conductors extending along the path of movement of the traveling cleaner 10. More particularly, electrical power for motors driving elements of the traveling cleaner 10 is delivered thereto through trolley conductors 15A, 15B and 15C mounted within the track 14 (FIG. 6), which conductors are engaged by a trolley shoe l6depending from a motorized carriage portion of the traveling cleaner 10. By means of suitable conductors 100, 101 extending between the transmitter 24 and the trolley shoe 16 moving along the trolley conductors 15A, 15B, 15C signals originating from the transmitter are coupled to the trolley conductors.

The transmitted bit stream including binary word signals thus coupled to the trolley conductors may be received at any location along the track 14, such as at the nearest location of such track to a general data processing facility or computer room. At such a point, a receiver 25 is operatively coupled to the trolley conductors 15A, 15B 15C, such as by suitable conductors 102, 103 extending therebetween, for receiving the side band frequencies borne on the trolley conductors. The receiver comprises frequency shift detector means for detecting transmittal of the side band frequencies, and thereby for detecting transmittal of the bitstream including binary word signals, and a suitable receiver is offered by the source referred to above as a source of a suitable transmitter. Preferably, frequency shift keying of the transmitter 24 to transmit an upper side band results in emission from the receiver 25 of a signal pulse on an upper side band output conductor 105, while receipt of a lower side band signal results in a similar pulse on a lower side band output conductor 106. As will be disclosed, the appearance of bit signals on the output conductors 105, 106 is employed in the deciphering of the bit stream in a particular manner in order to assure recognition of an incoming multiple bit word and preparation of a received word for further processing by a computer or other central processing facility.

More particularly, lower side band frequency shift keying of the transmitter 24 results in a pulse being passed through an incoming and gate 108, to be directed to one input terminal of a first J-K flipflop 110A through a conductor 115. Substantially simultaneously, a complement to the incoming signal, resulting from passage of the signal through an inverting amplifier 116, is presented to the other terminal of the first incoming J-K flipflop 110A through a conductor 118. The first incoming signal fiipflop 1 10A is thus placed in a condition correlated to a first data bit signal of an incoming multiple bit word. Upon receipt of the next bit signal, which typically would be a clock pulse rather than a signal correlated to a state of monitored operation, a pulse is passed down conductor through an inhibit gate 119 to appear on a shift signal conductor 120. The shift signal conductor, which is operatively connected to a first bank of incoming signal J-K flipflops 110A, 1108, 110C and 110D, shifts data bit signals stored in the first J-K flipflop 110A to a second J-K flipflop 1108, thereby preparing the first flipflop for receiving a second data bit signal to the serially arranged multiple bit word. Such alternate transmission of clock pulses and information carrying signals permits the serial delivery into the first bank of J-K flipflops of the four data bit signals included in the multiple bit word transmitted as disclosed hereinabove.

It will be noted from the disclosure above of encoding of a multiple bit word, in connection with FIG. 5, that an interval of time required for three counts in the serial arrangement counter 90 is provided for. As three successive pulse signals appear on the upper side band output conductor 105, an integrator 121 distinguishes that the interval of time which passes during the appearance of three pulses is such that a complete word has been transmitted. The integrator 121 thereupon emits a pulse signal to a parallel shift conductor 122, operatively connected to successive, parallelly arranged banks of flipflops. The states of flipfiops 110A, 1108, 110C and 110D are then shifted in parallel to corresponding ones of a next adjacent rank of flipflops 111A, 1118, 111C and 111D. Such serial reception of data bits and parallel shifting of words continues until the transmitted word has been repeated four times and the bank of .I-K flipflops employed in the processing means have been filled.

In such a condition, correct transmittal of data may be determined by a computer connected to the processing means through a check for identical states of corresponding A flipflops in the series 110, 111, 112, 113 and similar checking for identical states of corresponding B, C and D flipflops. If any incident of disagreement is found, the computer may disregard the received word as having been garbled in transmission. If the word is found to agree throughout the bank of flipflops, the word may be accepted and gated into a memory of the computer for subsequent retrieval and further data processing for statistical analysis. By suitable programming, the computer may compare the contents of the bank of flipflops and make a majority decision as to what word container therein is valid. By way of example, should two sets of flipflops, such as those in series 111 and 112, agree and contain words in valid form while the others contain garbled words which do not agree with those in any other series, a decision will be reached that the word to be found in series 111 and 112 is correct and that word may be accepted and gated.

With reference to the disclosure hereinabove of transmission and reception of word signals over trolley conductors, this is to be noted as the preferred embodiment for the present invention. However, the present invention contemplates that such transmission and reception may be effected by choice of a variety of other means. By way of further example, such transmission and reception may be by emission of radio frequency transmission, by coupling of direct current signals to a trolley conductor used solely as a signal conductor and not as a power conductor, or by modulation of light emitted from a lamp or the like atop the traveling unit. In these three further examples, recep- 10- tion would be by a tuned radio receiver, by coupling to the signal trolley conductor, or by photosensors mounted adjacent a room ceiling so as to be above the traveling units.

It is further contemplated by the present invention that the word signals transmitted may be assembled in accordance with any desired digital coding technique, in order that the information being transmitted may be packed. By way of example, three bit signals may be coded to transmit three pieces of information or seven pieces of information, depending upon the digital coding technique chosen. Further, data timing or separation bit signals may be deleted in order that all transmitted bit signals may be represent data.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation:

What is claimed is:

1. In a traveling unit moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yam' forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signaling certain states of said operations such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means for communicating and processing data concerning said operations and comprising:

means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encoding therefrom word signals correlated to said states of said operations and for transmitting such encoded word signals, and

means operatively communicating with said encoding and transmitting means for receiving transmitted word signals and for decoding received word signals to identify therefrom said states of said operations.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein a trolley conductor extends along the path of movement of said traveling unit and said traveling unit includes trolley means moving along said trolley conductor and further wherein operative communication between said encoding and transmitting means and said receiving and decoding means is established through said trolley means and trolley conductor.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means for encoding word signals comprises means for receiving a plurality of data bit signals correlated to a corresponding plurality of operations and for serially arranging the plurality of bits into a single, multiple bit word.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said means for encoding and transmitting word signals comprises means for repeating the transmission of each encoded word a predertermined number of times.

5. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said means for transmitting word signals comprises means for generating a carrier having a predetermined frequency and means for transmitting a shift frequency displaced from said carrier frequency by a predetermined increment whereby each transmission of a shift frequency correlates with a data bit being transmitted.

6. In a traveling unit moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signaling certain states of said operations such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means for continuously transmitting and processing data originating from the traveling unit and comprising:

binary word encoder means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encoding therefrom binary word signals correlated to said states of said operations,

transmitter means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said encoder means for transmitting a bit stream including said binary word signals,

receiver means remote from said traveling unit and operatively communicating with said transmitter means for receiving the transmitted bit stream, and signal decoding means operatively connected with said receiver means for identifying from received binary word signals said states of said operations.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said operation responsive means includes end detecting means for monitoring the formation of ends of yarn at traversed spindle locations and traveling unit movement detecting means for signaling the beginning of movement of the traveling unit along a textile yarn forming machine toward a series of spindle locations thereon and further wherein said encoder means comprises a plurality of parallelly arranged signal passing means for receiving data bit signals in parallel, two of said signal passing means being operatively connected to corresponding ones of said end detecting means and said traveling unit movement detecting means.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said encoder means further comprises signal shifting means operatively connected to said signal passing means for serially shifting data bit signals therefrom in rotation and thereby for serially arranging the corresponding plurality of bits into a single multiple bit word.

9. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said transmitter means comprises means for generating a carrier and means for generating side bands shifted from said carrier by predetermined frequency increments, said side band generating means being operatively connected to said encoder means for frequency shift keying in response to encoding of said binary word signals.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said receiver means comprises frequency shift detector means for detecting transmittal of said side band frequencies and thereby for detecting transmittal of said bit stream.

11. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said operation responsive means generate data bit signals, wherein said encoder means comprises means for receiving a plurality of data bit signals correlated to a corresponding plurality of operations and for serially arranging the plurality of bits into a single, multiple bit, word and further wherein said decoding means comprises means for converting a single, multiple bit, word into a corresponding plurality of data bit signals arranged in parallel.

12. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said encoder means and said transmitter means cooperate for repeating the transmission ofv each encoded word a predetermined number of times and further wherein said decoding'means comprises means for receiving each transmission of an individual encoded word and for storing in parallel such received transmissions of said individual encoded word.

13. In an overhead supported traveling pneumatic cleaner moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yam forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signaling certain states of said operations such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means for continuously transmitting and processing data originating from the traveling pneumatic cleaner and comprising:

binary word encoder means moving with said traveling pneumatic cleaner and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encoding therefrom binary word signals correlated to said states of said operations,

transmitter means moving with said traveling pneumatic cleaner and operatively connected with said encoder means for transmitting a bit stream including said binary word signals,

receiver means remote from said traveling pneumatic cleaner and operatively communicating with said transmitter means for receiving the transmitted bit stream, and

signal decoding means operatively connected with said receiver means for identifying from received binary word signals said states of said operations. 14. In a textile yarn forming operation, a method of obtaining data concerning certain operations of textile yarn forming machines and a traveling detector unit moving past spindle locations therealong at which ends of yarnnormally are formed, such as data as to ends down at spindle locations, comprising the steps of sensing with the traveling detector unit the states of said operations while encoding word signals correlated to the sensed states and while transmitting from the traveling detector unit a bit stream including encoded word signals, receiving the transmitted bit stream at a location remote from the traveling detector unit, and

decoding the received bit stream to identify word signals and to identify therefrom the correlative states of said operations.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the sensing of said states of said operations comprises generating a plurality of data bit signals correlated to a corresponding plurality of operations and the encoding of word signals comprises arranging the plurality of bits serially into a single, multiple bit, word.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein th transmitting of word signals comprises generating a carrier having a predetermined transmitting frequency and shift frequencies displaced from said carrier frequency by a predetermined increment and in correlationvwith the serial arrangement of bits in a transmitted word.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein the encoding and transmitting of word signals comprises repeating transmission of each encoded word a predetermined number of times.

18. In a textile yarn forming operation, a method of communicating and processing data concerning a plurality of operations of textile yarn forming machines and a traveling detector unit moving past spindle locations therealong, such as data as to movement of the traveling unit along a textile yarn forming machine toward a series of spindle locations and as to ends down at spindle locations, comprising the steps of traversing at least one textile yarn forming machine with a traveling detector unit while monitoring a plurality of operations of the traversed machine and unit,

generating a plurality of data bit signals each correlated to the state of a corresponding one of the monitored operations while encoding the data bit signals into serially arranged, multiple bit, binary word signals, transmitting the encoded binary word signals, receiving transmitted binary word signals at a location remote from the traversed machine, and

decoding received binary word signals to identify therefrom the correlative states of the monitored operations.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the encoding of binary word signals comprises storing the plurality of data bit signals in parallel and serially shifting the stored data bit signals in rotation to arrange the data bit signals as a single, multiple bit, word.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein the decoding of received binary word signals comprises converting received binary word signals into a plurality of data bit signals arranged in parallel.

21. A method according to claim 18 wherein the transmitting of encoded binary word signals includes repeating transmission of each encoded word a predetermined number of times and further wherein the decoding of received binary word signals comprises storing in parallel said predetermined number of binary word signals.

22. A method according to claim 18 wherein the transmitting and receiving of binary word signals comprises coupling frequency modulated electrical energy to trolley conductors along which the traveling detector unit moves and sensing the modulations of such coupled energy at a location remote from the traveling detector unit.

23. In a traveling unit moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn fonning machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signalling certain states of said operation such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means .for communicating and processing data concerning said operations and comprising:

means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encoding therefrom word signals correlated to said states of said operations,

means for communicating encoded signals from said traveling unit and,

means for decoding communicated word signals to identif th refrom 'd tates of s do erati ns 24. In a extile yarn orming opera ti on,% met 0d of obtaining data concerning certain operations of textile yarn forming machines and a traveling detector unit moving passed spindle locations therealong at which ends of yarn normally are formed, such as data as to ends down at spindle locations, comprising the steps of:

sensing with the traveling detector unit the states of said operations while encoding word signals indicative of the sensed states, communicating the encoded word signals from the traveling detector unit, and decoding the communicated word signals to identify therefrom the correlative states of said operations. 

1. In a traveling unit moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signaling certain states of said operations such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means for communicating and processing data concerning said operations and comprising: means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encoding therefrom word signals correlated to said states of said operations and for transmitting such encoded word signals, and means operatively communicating with said encoding and transmitting means for receiving transmitted word signals and for decoding received word signals to identify therefrom said states of said operations.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein a trolley conductor extends along the path of movement of said traveling unit and said traveling unit includes trolley means moving along said trolley conductor and further wherein operative communication between said encoding and transmitting means and said receiving and decoding means is established through said trolley means and trolley conductor.
 3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means for encoding word signals comprises means for receiving a plurality of data bit signals correlated to a corresponding plurality of operations and for serially arranging the plurality of bits into a single, multiple bit word.
 4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said means for encoding and transmitting word signals comprises means for repeating the transmission of each encoded word a predertermined number of times.
 5. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said means for transmitting word signals comprises means for generating a carrier having a predetermined frequency and means for transmitting a shift frequency displaced from said carrier frequency by a predetermined increment whereby each transmission of a shift frequency correlates with a data bit being transmitted.
 6. In a traveling unit moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signaling certain states of said operations such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means for continuously transmitting and processing data originating from the traveling unit and comprising: binary word encoder means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encodIng therefrom binary word signals correlated to said states of said operations, transmitter means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said encoder means for transmitting a bit stream including said binary word signals, receiver means remote from said traveling unit and operatively communicating with said transmitter means for receiving the transmitted bit stream, and signal decoding means operatively connected with said receiver means for identifying from received binary word signals said states of said operations.
 7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said operation responsive means includes end detecting means for monitoring the formation of ends of yarn at traversed spindle locations and traveling unit movement detecting means for signaling the beginning of movement of the traveling unit along a textile yarn forming machine toward a series of spindle locations thereon and further wherein said encoder means comprises a plurality of parallelly arranged signal passing means for receiving data bit signals in parallel, two of said signal passing means being operatively connected to corresponding ones of said end detecting means and said traveling unit movement detecting means.
 8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said encoder means further comprises signal shifting means operatively connected to said signal passing means for serially shifting data bit signals therefrom in rotation and thereby for serially arranging the corresponding plurality of bits into a single multiple bit word.
 9. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said transmitter means comprises means for generating a carrier and means for generating side bands shifted from said carrier by predetermined frequency increments, said side band generating means being operatively connected to said encoder means for frequency shift keying in response to encoding of said binary word signals.
 10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said receiver means comprises frequency shift detector means for detecting transmittal of said side band frequencies and thereby for detecting transmittal of said bit stream.
 11. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said operation responsive means generate data bit signals, wherein said encoder means comprises means for receiving a plurality of data bit signals correlated to a corresponding plurality of operations and for serially arranging the plurality of bits into a single, multiple bit, word and further wherein said decoding means comprises means for converting a single, multiple bit, word into a corresponding plurality of data bit signals arranged in parallel.
 12. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said encoder means and said transmitter means cooperate for repeating the transmission of each encoded word a predetermined number of times and further wherein said decoding means comprises means for receiving each transmission of an individual encoded word and for storing in parallel such received transmissions of said individual encoded word.
 13. In an overhead supported traveling pneumatic cleaner moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signaling certain states of said operations such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means for continuously transmitting and processing data originating from the traveling pneumatic cleaner and comprising: binary word encoder means moving with said traveling pneumatic cleaner and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encoding therefrom binary word signals correlated to said states of said operations, transmitter means moving with said traveling pneumatic cleaner and operatively connected with said encoder means for transmitting a bit stream including said binary word signals, receiver means remote from said tRaveling pneumatic cleaner and operatively communicating with said transmitter means for receiving the transmitted bit stream, and signal decoding means operatively connected with said receiver means for identifying from received binary word signals said states of said operations.
 14. In a textile yarn forming operation, a method of obtaining data concerning certain operations of textile yarn forming machines and a traveling detector unit moving past spindle locations therealong at which ends of yarn normally are formed, such as data as to ends down at spindle locations, comprising the steps of sensing with the traveling detector unit the states of said operations while encoding word signals correlated to the sensed states and while transmitting from the traveling detector unit a bit stream including encoded word signals, receiving the transmitted bit stream at a location remote from the traveling detector unit, and decoding the received bit stream to identify word signals and to identify therefrom the correlative states of said operations.
 15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the sensing of said states of said operations comprises generating a plurality of data bit signals correlated to a corresponding plurality of operations and the encoding of word signals comprises arranging the plurality of bits serially into a single, multiple bit, word.
 16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the transmitting of word signals comprises generating a carrier having a predetermined transmitting frequency and shift frequencies displaced from said carrier frequency by a predetermined increment and in correlation with the serial arrangement of bits in a transmitted word.
 17. A method according to claim 14 wherein the encoding and transmitting of word signals comprises repeating transmission of each encoded word a predetermined number of times.
 18. In a textile yarn forming operation, a method of communicating and processing data concerning a plurality of operations of textile yarn forming machines and a traveling detector unit moving past spindle locations therealong, such as data as to movement of the traveling unit along a textile yarn forming machine toward a series of spindle locations and as to ends down at spindle locations, comprising the steps of traversing at least one textile yarn forming machine with a traveling detector unit while monitoring a plurality of operations of the traversed machine and unit, generating a plurality of data bit signals each correlated to the state of a corresponding one of the monitored operations while encoding the data bit signals into serially arranged, multiple bit, binary word signals, transmitting the encoded binary word signals, receiving transmitted binary word signals at a location remote from the traversed machine, and decoding received binary word signals to identify therefrom the correlative states of the monitored operations.
 19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the encoding of binary word signals comprises storing the plurality of data bit signals in parallel and serially shifting the stored data bit signals in rotation to arrange the data bit signals as a single, multiple bit, word.
 20. A method according to claim 18 wherein the decoding of received binary word signals comprises converting received binary word signals into a plurality of data bit signals arranged in parallel.
 21. A method according to claim 18 wherein the transmitting of encoded binary word signals includes repeating transmission of each encoded word a predetermined number of times and further wherein the decoding of received binary word signals comprises storing in parallel said predetermined number of binary word signals.
 22. A method according to claim 18 wherein the transmitting and receiving of binary word signals comprises coupling frequency modulated electrical energy to trolley conductors along which the traveling detector unit moves and sensing the modulations of such coupLed energy at a location remote from the traveling detector unit.
 23. In a traveling unit moving past spindle locations at which ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn forming machines and having means responsive to certain operations such as formation of ends of yarn for signalling certain states of said operation such as an end down at a spindle location, the combination therewith of means for communicating and processing data concerning said operations and comprising: means moving with said traveling unit and operatively connected with said operation responsive means for encoding therefrom word signals correlated to said states of said operations, means for communicating encoded signals from said traveling unit and, means for decoding communicated word signals to identify therefrom said states of said operations.
 24. In a textile yarn forming operation, a method of obtaining data concerning certain operations of textile yarn forming machines and a traveling detector unit moving passed spindle locations therealong at which ends of yarn normally are formed, such as data as to ends down at spindle locations, comprising the steps of: sensing with the traveling detector unit the states of said operations while encoding word signals indicative of the sensed states, communicating the encoded word signals from the traveling detector unit, and decoding the communicated word signals to identify therefrom the correlative states of said operations. 